Are you looking for some "fresh" ideas to put an end to bullying in your classroom but are not sure where or how to start? Well, you are in the right place. This web site brings attention to No Name-Calling Week: an annual week of realistic educational activities designed to end all types of name-calling. No Name-Calling Week was inspired by the young adult novel, The Misfits, and presents an opportunity to address bullying as an increasingly, ongoing issue. Whether you are a teacher, student, administrator, counselor, or parent, there is an abundance of useful ideas, activities, and materials for elementary, middle, and high schools to promote anti-bullying awareness, and they are all free!

In the Classroom

Use the resources from this web site to plan and implement lessons that students will relate to, and help to bring an end to harmful name-calling and "dissing." Select some of the many safe Web 2.0 tools reviewed by TeachersFirst Edge, such as Automotivator, reviewed here for designing digital posters that can be printed, or PhotoPeach, reviewed here for creating a digital slideshow that includes music, captions, and more. TeachersFirst also has an entire collection of on line resources to create comic strips, available here to drive home the message that bullying is never a laughing matter.

This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers, parents, and students find, use, and create webquests. Teachers can find examples of webquests across the curriculum (and places to find MORE). Both students and teachers can find tools for creating their own webquests. We have even included some sample web resources as terrific seeds for webquest ideas.

In the Classroom

Mark this in your professional favorites for planning and finding webquests. The webquest format has been around for years and can be adapted many ways. Start from this collection and consider designing a webquest "Task" that uses a collaborative, web 2.0 tool such as those reviewed in the TeachersFirst Edge listings. Today's students will love the authentic, creative tasks and collaboration made possible by today's tools. TeachersFirst Edge reviews include ways to use the tools safely and within school policies, for a learning "win-win." You might even want to have student groups design their own webquests for classmates to try as a new twist on "jigsaw" learning.

Use Polldaddy to create polls or surveys to place on a blog, wiki, or site. Sign up to register (email address is required.) Choose your template and style. Change various features such as progress bar, restrictions, and notifications. Choose from Free Text, Multiple Choice, or a Matrix. Enter your question and choices. Upload media if desired. Click Finish and Embed when done with the survey. Use the embed codes and links for either creating a pop up page, or embedding directly into a page on a blog, wiki, or site. View reports of the results, locations, and participants of the survey.

In the Classroom

Users must be able to determine the question and possible responses to generate the poll online. Remember to Publish your quiz to be able to share it.

This tool does not show the individual votes of students. Though this tool can be used by students, it may be best used by a teacher. Students using this tool, need an email to register.

Use polls created using Polldaddy on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start a new unit, asking questions about the material. Discuss in groups why those in class would choose a particular answer to uncover misconceptions. Use for Daily quiz questions to gain knowledge of student understanding and a means of formative assessment. Have student groups alternate to create a new poll for the next day. Place a poll on your teacher web page as a homework inspiration or to ask questions to increase parent involvement. Older students may want to include polls on their student blogs to increase read involvement or create polls to use at the start of project presentations. Use polls to generate data for math class (graphing), during elections or for critical thinking activities dealing with interpretation of statistics. Use "real" data to engage students on issues that matter to them.

Use Quiz Snack to create polls or surveys to place on a blog, wiki, or site. Choose among Poll, Survey, or Personality Quiz. Enter your question and choice. Click the boxes to Shuffle Options and even display a Show Results button. When done, click Save and Customize to choose from templates. Change styles and colors. Click Publish to share via a link, obtain an embed code, or share through Facebook, or email.

In the Classroom

Users must be able to determine the question and possible responses to generate the poll online. Remember to Publish your quiz to be able to share it. This tool does not show the individual votes of students. Though this tool can be used by students, it may be best used by a teacher. Students using this tool, need an email to register.

In the classroom: Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study by asking questions about the material. Discuss in groups why those in class would choose a particular answer to uncover misconceptions. Use for Daily quiz questions to gain knowledge of student understanding and a means of formative assessment. Place on a teacher web page as a homework inspiration or to ask questions to increase parent involvement.

Unsure of classroom uses for Voicethread? On this site, teachers share successful projects that use Voicethread. Choose from the subjects along the left side. Read articles sharing ideas, challenges in the use of Voicethread, and a sample Voicethread to view. New to Voicethread? Check our review of Voicethread here.

In the Classroom

Find great project ideas from educators who have used Voicethread in the classroom. For example, in Math find great projects about measurement, probability, and problem solving. In Science, view stories about Astronomy. View projects about Ellis Island and the Reconstruction along with other Social Studies examples. Find great projects on these subjects as well as Language Arts, Foreign Language, Information Technology, Professional Development, and Performing Arts. Have a great project using Voicethread? Join the community and submit your as well.

The Rosa Parks: How I Fought for Civil Rights website includes free printable lesson plans, worksheets, an interview, a biography, and other reading material that can be easily viewed full-screen on your classroom interactive whiteboard. The site is easy to navigate with links built right into the text for vocabulary and other relevant information. The activities help students understand the importance and necessity of every individual citizen in a democracy working together to contribute to a better way of life for all.

In the Classroom

Spark your students' interest for how one brave individual changed history by not giving up her bus seat to a white passenger. Whether you are doing a unit on people who make a difference, civil rights, tolerance, or studying women and events in history, this self-contained website provides resources and materials that you can display on your classroom whiteboard and involve students in using the interactive links to enhance learning and spring board discussions on what still needs to be done in regards to acceptance and embracing racial, ethnic, and cultural differences. Use an online tool like The Interactive Three Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast discrimination in our country then with similar challenges we face today, and what still needs to be accomplished for a better tomorrow. Broaden the concepts to include that even when we are brave and have courage, change doesn't come about immediately; it takes time and continued perseverance. Culminate the unit with a writing prompt for students to reflect on and explain: Have you ever faced something that you thought you couldn't stand up to?

Here you will find a quick and interesting learning styles quiz for your students to take. You don't need to sign in. No email address or registration is required. Once you've found your dominate style there is a description, and, best of all, tips for the best way for you to learn. Some of the learning styles also include possible career choices.

In the Classroom

Have your students open a word document and save it. Then have them take the quiz, without signing up. Use the "Print Screen" feature on the computer to have the students copy their test. They can then paste it in their word document. Next have them look to see what is their most dominate style, and have them copy and paste the description for that style first, then their next dominate and so on. Not only can your students use this when trying to figure out final projects for assessments, but if they are having trouble with tests, they can look and see what might help them when it comes to study time. You can also use the results to group students or for them to select a "study buddy" before tests! Many of the styles include possible careers for students to pursue.

TVOKids, Ages 2-5, is designed to provide interactive activities that span across the educational spectrum. The activities are upbeat, catchy and simple to use while maintaining educational authenticity. There are interactives and videos to view. The videos cover a vast array of topics from social skills to word families to backyard science. The games portion is broken into categories: ABC's/puzzles, math, music, science, animals, about me, and arts/crafts. While the site is listed for children ages 2-5, the activities are more than appropriate for students in grades kindergarten through second. You can easily search this site by selecting the medium you would like to use, videos or games, and then selecting a subject/topic. The site also provides downloads for enrichment opportunities such as flashcards, puzzles, sequencing, brainstorming, hypothesis generating, comprehension activities, and more. There is a lot here to explore!

In the Classroom

Present the activities within this site as activators for new skills and lessons. Share parts of this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Provide the activities within center time for reinforcement of new skills or for those students who may be struggling with a prior skill. Consider providing this link on your class website for students to explore at home.

TVOKids, Ages 11 and under, is designed to provide interactive activities that span across the educational spectrum. With 800+ videos and over 160 games, the activities are upbeat, catchy and simple to use while maintaining educational authenticity. The videos cover a vast array of topics from social skills to dinosaurs to math. The interactives are broken into categories: words/puzzles, math/science, health/sports, arts/music, and our world. The site also provides downloads for enrichment opportunities such as place value, graphing, symmetry, the scientific method, and much more. Check out the Homework Zone for excellent tutorials on a variety of subject matters. They are not just for homework help!

In the Classroom

Share this website on your projector or interactive white board. Present the activities within this site as activators for new skills and lessons. Provide the activities within center time for reinforcement of new skills or for those students who may be struggling with a prior skill. Be sure to list this link on your website for students to access both in and out of class for additional practice.

Use this easy site to find any address on satellite view. Show My Street uses Google Street View. Type in an address. As you type, street views that begin to match the address will appear. As you continue to type, the street views continue to change. (This is actually a really great way to see other places.) Zoom in on your address using the same tools found in Google Maps. Share the location by clicking on the Twitter, Facebook, or link icons.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Have students choose any place, then post the link to it on a blog, wiki, or website, and write a description of it. Describe what they would see out of their window, create a story about what they hear or see, or describe their family and what's inside of the house. Research the history of the area to determine how it may have been different in the past. Of course you will went to avoid posting personal information on the web, but students could write fictional stories or keep personal information out of their writings. Describe the wildlife (plant or animal) that exists in their area. Describe the community of people in the area or an important neighbor and why they are important. Create a persuasive essay why their house (or school) is the best, friendliest, etc. in the area. Use tools to determine the distance between houses or to local historical places, places of interest, etc. Use the image as a powerful tool for writing.

Twurdy is web search that includes a readability index! Think of the implications: Everyone has different reading abilities. Some people searching the web are seven or eight year old children, while others are in high school or beyond. Twurdy provides access to search results that suit individuals' reading levels, by providing an easy color coded system to help you quickly determine how simple or hard the page will be to understand. The beauty is that it is not an extra step! Twurdy is powered by Google. Try it right now. It only takes a few seconds. Just go to the Twurdy website (by clicking on the title in this review) and copy/paste the URL - http://www.teachersfirst.com/index.cfm in the search box. Not only will you see Twurdy's value, you will have the added bonus of discovering our TeachersFirst website if you are not already a frequent user. While this site could be independently used by intermediate and secondary students, teachers of the primary grades may also find this site useful as a professional resource.

In the Classroom

Twurdy is useful for all grades and subjects. Teachers can spend hours looking for age/grade appropriate websites to display on classroom whiteboards, include in webquests, and recommend for usage with assignments. Save valuable time by finding the information that is most appropriate for your students. This will mean that more time can be spent actually getting the assignment done, rather than clicking through material that is either too difficult or too simplistic to use. Bookmark this site in your favorites and provide the link on your class web page to save yourself and your students a lot of time finding what you are looking for. Remember that you can "organize" recommended sites for students using a tool such as LiveBinders (reviewed here, share them with readability tips using Diigo reviewed here, or even color code them by reading level for younger students using Symbaloo reviewed here.

Practice telling time to the hour with this entertaining activity. Upon starting, a time is given, then click the minus or plus hours until the clock shows the correct time and check the time. If correct, feedback of "Well Done!" is provided, a wrong answer moves the wolf closer to Red Riding Hood. Too many wrong answers and the wolf gobbles up Red Riding Hood! You may need to teach students to read number words and "o'clock" before using this site or have a chart close by for them to compare numbers to text for pre-readers as all information is given with text.

In the Classroom

Create a link on classroom computers to use as a center when practicing telling time to the hour. Share this site on your classroom website or blog for students to practice at home. Use on your interactive whiteboard as a whole class activity while students show the correct time on their own clocks (Judy clocks or classroom-created).

This site was developed with the idea that crucial concepts, themes, ideas, and fact sets taught in the classroom can be enhanced over the internet through interactivity. Furthermore, for teachers to have a reliable k -8 internet site to use in the computer lab or in the classroom, that likely covers one or many themes currently being taught. The Language Arts portion of the site contains several activities that can supplement any Language Arts program. Spelling Central allows teachers to input their own spelling words then converts the list into a word search, abc order practice, missing letter practice and a mixed up word activity that can be printed or practiced by students online. In addition, there are Language Arts games, reading comprehension exercises, story units, practice with commas, abc order, nouns and pronouns and more. Be sure to check out the animated biographies of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln. Students will need to be cautioned to ignore the ads on the right hand side of the page when exploring the site.

In the Classroom

This site will work well for classrooms with individual spelling lists as students can input their own list to create printables and online activities for spelling practice. Watch the animated biographies on your interactive whiteboard as part of your President's Day activities. Make a shortcut to this site on classroom computers and use it as a center. Share the link to the site on your classroom website or blog for students to access from home.

This site has lots of interactives for young children to explore. Interactives cover several different subject areas and include lots of fun sounds and graphics. Simply click the arrows to scroll through the games. Be aware: if you click "Home" you will be taken to the main page for Kids CBC, not the specific area for primary grades only. So you may want to use the back arrow to return, or mark this as a Favorite for easy return.

In the Classroom

These interactives will be a nice addition to any preschool, kindergarten, or first grade classroom. The interactive, Blooming Bubbles, will help your students count while they learn about what is needed to grow a garden. In "Busytown," young children can learn about the different parts of a town. Use the interactives on a whiteboard or in a computer lab. These are also good to use for center work. Be sure to turn up speakers to hear audio for whole class use or use headphones if using this site at a center. Why not list this link on your class website for families to explore at home.

Need to create a simple website without cost? Google Sites offers a simple interface that is easy to use to build websites. Use some advanced features such as fonts, text size, text color, and headings. Add images and videos from You Tube to your site. Revert to previous versions of the pages you create through the revision history. Add a Google map to your page easily. Use other Gadgets that are easy to plug in by choosing one of the many Google Gadgets. Create many different kinds of pages in your site. Choose your own privacy rules for the site as well.

In the Classroom

Users must have a Google account or sign up for an account. View the controls in Google sites before creating to get an idea of usable features. Find great hints and tips about using Google sites here.

Click "Create a new site" to name your site and begin the process. Choose from a variety of templates and begin building your pages. Click "Edit" on your page to bring up the editing options. Use the buttons on the editor bar to change font sizes, color, etc. Click "Insert" to view a drop down menu of a variety of content that can be included on the page. Use the other tabs such as "Format," "Table," and "Layout" to change other aspects of the page. Be sure to click the "Save" button when finished editing a page. Create a new page within the site by clicking "Create a page." Choose from a variety of pages that have different formats suited for a web page, announcements page, file cabinet, or list. Be sure to select where the page will be found such as the top level menu or as a subpage under a different page in the site. Click on "More actions" to bring up other menu items such as "Manage Site," changing page settings, moving or deleting a page, and more. Share your site with others and invite users who can also make changes on the site.

Use a Google Site to create a simple web page for communication with students and their families at any grade level. In middle and high school, use student-created site(s) as a way for students to collaborate and share with many of the same features as a wiki.

Use MapCrunch to go to places in the world without ever leaving the classroom. Explore the world's geography and cultures easily. View detailed "Google Street View" snapshots of towns, cities, and areas all over the globe. Randomly tour spots on the earth or choose a tour by continent. Use the navigation buttons to zoom in or out or shift the MapCrunch window to face a different direction. Click on the checkbox to use the slideshow feature. Share by using a link, through Facebook, or email.

In the Classroom

Assign students various countries, regions, or continents to make comparisons. Identify the biological, geographical, cultural, and social issues that exist in the world, based on what the pictures show and what their research uncovers. Bring a greater understanding to current economic and environmental issues in many countries. World language (or World Cultures) classes can help students understand the cultures of the countries where the language is spoken. Compare specific attributes of two countries using an online Venn Diagram, such as the one reviewed here. Another idea: have cooperative learning groups use this resource to create online books about the country of their tour using a resource such as Bookemon,

Want to enhance the viewer experiences and discussions around the YouTube videos you embed? Enter the URL of your You Tube video to add DVD-like controls without altering the original content. Use EmbedPlus to add features such as scene skipping, movable zoom, third party annotations, slow motion on-demand, and instant replay. Set start time and scene markers if desired. Add your annotations during this set up process. When done, click get Code to either copy a new URL for your video or obtain an embed code to place in a blog, wiki, or site to share with others.

In the Classroom

If using student created video, please check with district policy about sharing student work on the Internet. If using with students, be sure to discuss what is considered appropriate/inappropriate annotations to make on videos. These videos may not play in districts where You Tube videos are blocked. As EmbedPlus uses its own wrapper around the You Tube video, it may be viewable in your district depending upon the filter being used. Be sure to test this before using with students. Note: The "real time reactions" option pulls in and displays public comments when you click it. Use the "enhanced embed" wizard and be sure to click the checkbox that deactivates this feature. You may wish to monitor these for possible inappropriate content.

Use the controls to add annotations or student thoughts to sections of the videos. Students can make these comments on their own videos or on a different groups contribution. Use this just to add playback controls that allow for greater viewing of You Tube videos. Have students find a video (or assign one) and annotate it with curriculum related discussion, criticism, vocabulary, etc. Students can then embed this product in his/her blog or a class wiki or site. Consider creating a glog using GlogsterEDU, reviewed here. Make an annotated video with question prompts in annotations and embed in wiki or glog to share with your classes. Playback using the slow motion and zoom would be a great item to show on a whiteboard or projector.

Decorate a virtual gingerbread man with this simple to use site. Add frosting, decorations, and more. Then save your creation (downloads as a jpg file). There are options to share and send, but these do not appear to work all the time. You can also browse a Gallery of others' creations for inspiration. Important note: the site uses pop-ups to save or send, so be sure you allow pop-ups from this site.

In the Classroom

Share the gallery and have students experiment together to learn what the tools do on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Be sure everyone knows how to SAVE their creations. Then set up a gingerbread man center for creative expression. Once students create their virtual treats, have them click to SAVE the file on the local computer. They can write stories about them in the pattern of classics: "You can't catch me...!" or in their own fantasy style. Print the illustrations or include both stories and images on your class wiki. Not sure how to make a wiki? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through. Another option: You could make a class book of the students' creations. For this you might want to use Mixbook reviewed here to add a professional flare.

The Dolch Word website offers a variety of activities, information, and tools for teaching and learning the Dolch Word list. The words are broken into the pre-primer, primer, first, second, and third grade categories. Within each category, you will find printable flashcards as well as word lists that can be used for student assessment. At each level, there are a variety of Dolch word games to choose from such as memory, matching, spelling, and jigsaw. Audio is used during some of the games as verbal cues. There are items for sale and advertisements, but you can ignore them.

In the Classroom

Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector to introduce new Dolch words or to familiarize students with the rules of the games prior to using them during centers. Be sure to show which areas are ads to avoid. Students can use this site during centers as a review or to differentiate instruction. Have students print out their own Dolch flashcards, cut them up and place them in a plastic bag for those times when they finish their work early. Do not forget to share this useful site with the school reading specialist and ELL/ESL teacher. Another idea: provide this link on your class website for students and parents to access both in and out of the classroom.

If you are looking for fun activities to feed the holiday spirit check out Mrs. Martin's blog. Students will enjoy decorating digital gingerbread cookies, "elfing" themselves, making virtual snowflakes, creating colorful sand drawings, and counting down the days to Christmas on advent calendars from around the world.

*BE AWARE: at the time of this review, a few of the links were "under construction." However, what IS available is worth taking a look at!

In the Classroom

Incorporate fun digital activities into your interactive whiteboard or projector lessons this December. Make a shortcut to links from this site on classroom computers and use it as a center. Read Jan Brett's book "Gingerbread Baby" and then have students create virtual gingerbread cookies from the variety of sites on this blog. Science units covering the states of matter, weather, or water cycle can include a fun diversion to cutting out virtual snowflakes. Schools that celebrate Christmas will enjoy projecting an advent calendar daily and seeing what surprises each new day brings.

General Tips and Reminders: Fully preview the links on this site at school before introducing them to students. Some sites may be down or not accessible on your school network. There is some advertising on a few sites. Students may have the opportunity to create virtual cards. These require users to enter email addresses directly into the site. Advise your students to print their work rather than submitting personal emails. Or use a class email (rather than your personal email, create a class gmail account for all students to use).